Bezel vs LaunchBox
Bezel
retrobezel.com
LaunchBox
launchbox-app.comSide by side
| Figure | Bezel | LaunchBox |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 8 |
| Spec score · Game Library Managers | 8.0 (#10) | 8.9 (#4) |
| Spec score · Game launchers | 7.9 (#24) | 9.0 (#9) |
| License | The terms grant a personal, non-commercial license and state that Bezel is proprietary. | The maker says Premium is DRM-free and can be deployed to as many personal devices as the user wishes. |
| Product | Bezel is a retro game launcher and library organizer with an optional AI companion called Bezelie. | LaunchBox is a game collection frontend and manager for modern PC games and emulated console games. |
| Support | The site directs users to GitHub to download the beta and file feedback, and to Ko-fi to support development. | The maker points users to technical support forums, how-to video tutorials, bug reporting, and feature requests. |
Plans
LaunchBox
- StarterFree
- Starter (Windows)Free
- Regular$30, paid once
- Regular (Windows)$30, paid once
- Bundle (Windows and Android)$35, paid once
- Windows and Android bundle$35, paid once
- Lifetime$75, paid once
- Lifetime (Windows)$75, paid once
In their own words
Bezel
Bezel is a retro game launcher and library organizer for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It supports more than 25 systems and lists a catalog of more than 80,000 games. Its offline game database supplies titles and metadata without API keys or scraping, and the launcher can capture emulator soundtracks for playback while you browse. The optional AI companion, Bezelie, can watch gameplay, react aloud, remember sessions, chat, and take control to play. Named integrations include RetroArch, RetroAchievements, YouTube, Twitch, ElevenLabs, Google Drive, and Dropbox. Bezel describes itself as offline-first, without accounts or telemetry, and says the library stays on your machine. Some enabled Bezelie features may send screenshots, recorded audio, text, or related context to an AI provider. The app does not include game or BIOS files. Its launcher is free; Bezelie Premium is optional, with no price listed. The Mac build is described as experimental, and the license is personal and non-commercial.
LaunchBox
LaunchBox is a game collection frontend and manager for modern PC games and emulated console games. It can import Steam and GOG games, ROM files, and MS-DOS games, then retrieve box art and metadata from its Games Database along with fan art, screenshots, and logos. Collections can be arranged and filtered by genre, platform, ESRB rating, developer, and publisher, with custom status and source fields. The Windows app supports Windows 10 and higher, with Windows 10 and 11 described as fully supported. LaunchBox for Android is free for collections of 100 games or fewer; it shares the games database, media, and portable XML data with Windows, and Windows data can be exported to Android. Premium adds themes, Big Box mode, gamepad automation, startup and pause screens, and display customization. The Regular Windows license costs $30 as a one-time purchase and includes a year of free updates. The maker says Premium is DRM-free and can be deployed to as many personal devices as desired. Windows data can also be moved by copying the app to another folder or computer.